In the last few years, we’ve seen a number of businesses bite the dust. They come and go, like the passing of the seasons, each with a complex story that defies easy categorization. In some instances, blame rests squarely with the economy. In others, personal issues came into play, disputes with a landlord proved the final straw, or simple bad luck was part of the equation.
Two interrelated things stand out, however, as we view the rough terrain that is Vashon’s economic landscape: First, service is all. Second, even those that strive to do right by the Island community won’t make it without strong and committed local support.
Bettie Edwards, owner of The Little House, says it over and over again: If Islanders don’t vote with their dollars, if they choose to order from Amazon rather than buy from our local bookstores, to frequent the chains rather than the small, idiosyncratic shops that make up Vashon’s retail scene, the Island will only creep closer to what many of us dread: a suburban outpost.
Edwards, as a result, is now promoting something called the 3/50 Project — a Web-based campaign by a Minneapolis woman to get people to more fully embrace the shop local creed. More specifically, hers is a call to action: Identify three independent, local stores, she admonishes, then consider how you’d feel if they disappeared; once that’s done, she adds, commit to spending $50 a month at locally owned, independent stores.
According to her site, www.the350project.net, the effort returns dividends to the community: For every $100 spent in a local store, $68 comes back in taxes, payroll and other things; buy online, she adds, and nothing returns to the community.
On Vashon, the impact is particularly tangible. With our discrete boundaries and complete dependence on a ferry system, “local” has real meaning: There’s no question about what’s local and what’s not, no question that when we spend our dollars at home, we’re supporting the men and women — our neighbors — who work here.
And there’s little question but that the local business scene remains in flux on Vashon. Gusto Girls, a beloved bistro, is closing; Wild Woman Espresso has shuttered its doors; a new shop, Good Merchandise, meanwhile, will open later this week. And long-standing establishments, like Pandora’s Box, have expanded, proving their strength as an abiding institution.
We support Edwards’ admonition and that of the 350 Project, though whether one spends $50 or $5 is not the point. The point is to think about what matters to us on Vashon and to be, as a result, intentional with our dollars. At the same time, loyalty alone — like some kind of family obligation — is not enough. We all know stores on Vashon that seem to take their clientele for granted, that haven’t learned the Nordstrom way when it comes to customer relations.
So as we watch this shifting landscape, as we see yet another place we love disappear, let’s consider our part in keeping Vashon financially healthy and commercially vibrant. And while you’re at it, stop in at the Gusto Girls. This weekend, alas, is their last.
